The dictionary defines intuition as "the direct perception or immediate apprehension of something independent of any reasoning process." People often say they have a "hunch" or "gut feeling." Beyond these vague, general ideas, there is little agreement on the nature of intuitive experience.

But the more we consciously experience intuition, the more we come to see what it is and what it means in our lives. Without this personal awareness, no amount of defining and theorizing will help us understand intuition. Therefore our approach to recovering The Intuitive Self focuses on direct, immediate, personal experience.

This experiential approach is in the grand tradition of intra-personal discovery down through the ages. As suggested by the perennial wisdom, the place to begin our observation is in the ordinary experiences of daily life where the shadow of The Intuitive Self lies hidden. Thus the sine qua non of intuitive presence is a quiet, relaxed, distraction free mind focused in the present.

When we pay attention to our intuitions, we find they are numerous and deal with commonplace experiences: anticipating a telephone call, waiting for a delivery, reviewing copies for a presentation, changing a job assignment, etc. Using this experiential approach, we have found the more attention we give to our intuition, the more it attends to us in return!

One way to connect with intuition is to pay close attention when personal experiences spontaneously have this character. Then we can take the next step and evoke those circumstances as needed. Our programs include many practices that encourage the attentive state of mind necessary for access to the intuitive way of knowing.

Given it's subtle nature, the study of intuition requires a broader perspective than traditional science. Not only must we use the physical sense data from objective science, but also self reports of subjective explorations. This "noetic science" approach rises to the challenge of understanding intuition. Thus recovery of The Intuitive Self requires us to explore both our outer objective and inner subjective selves.

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